My Home

Saturday, April 30, 2016

I slept well last night for once. I have plans, but the plans are getting more reality-based now.

The RV is an 24’ 1983 Lindy. I have an appointment to get the engine fluids/belts/hoses checked and/or replaced on it on Monday. I’m going to take it somewhere and have the RV systems checked out I have room, given what I paid for it, to replace what doesn’t work, within reason. I’m going on the theory that nothing works, with no concrete reason to believe that, because I figure I’d rather think Woo Hoo, something works rather than, bummer, something else doesn’t work.

I really enjoy driving the RV. That first stoplight the first time I drove it was disconcerting. The brakes are a bit spongy, and I had no clutch to use to downshift, as the RV is an automatic. The consolation as I saw the car in front of me stopped was that it was my car that Jim was driving and I was following. The brakes do work, but I had a heartbeat of panic. I’m hoping it is just air in the lines. I’m remembering my days of working on my similar era vehicles. I smiled as Jim was checking out the way the engine ran and said that it sounded good ‘except for the glasspacks’ and I actually knew what he was talking about. Y’all will know when I’m coming.

I want to clean it up a bit, but I will be posting pictures. It has the bathroom in the back, a small full stove with very small oven, double stainless sinks, Dometric fridge, couch on one side and single person per side dinette on the other. I didn’t want a seperate bed other than the over cab one, so this layout is perfect for me.

Some of the things I had taken for granted as I planned what I would put where in an RV won’t work with this one. No storage under the couch as that is where the fresh water tank is located. No storage under the dinette seats as under one is the water heater and under the other is the furnace. I had planned on using the passenger side front floor for the cats’ litter box. It is not big enough.

I’m now looking around my mobile and cutting out more and more stuff, at least mentally. Already this morning started a new pile to go to the thrift store.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

After my confession that in order to not go totally nuts at night I decided that I will not make any decisions while it is dark outside, this early morning I did just that. Made a decision. I had fitful bursts of dreams and tossing and turning about my future most of the night. It culminated (really need the spell check to keep up with the 50 cent vocabulary…) with a firm decision that I do not want a Class A. Too Much. Too much everything. The driving is the least of it. Finding places to park rank high on the list of issues, as I want to wander and park wherever. Too much maintenance on too large a scale. Climbing up on a Class C roof, piece of cake. Heck, used to climb and cave – not well, but I did. That was 30 years ago, but still I don’t tend to back down from ladders and such. However, a Class A causes me to pause. I don’t like pausing, it makes me stop and think, and then I don’t get anything done.

So, that narrows the field a lot. There are several smaller Class A rigs around, fewer Class C’s and they tend to sell quickly. I will now concentrate on cleaning and clearing this place and cashing out money to buy what I want when I find it.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

I have spent large parts of the past several days looking at used RV’s. I have only one definite conculsion: Craigslist people are totally nuts. Finally at 4pm today I drove up to the north side and the young guy actually started up the generator, then turned on both air conditioners while talking to me. He then started the engine, and turned on the water pump to show that it worked. For some reason I’m not totally in love with the class A, and want to see another class C before making the jump. The class C folks fall into the totally flaky camp. Bless Jim and Sandy, Jim is going to help me navigate between the two and Sandy listens to me whine about it all.

Mom’s mobile home has not sold yet, and if it doesn’t she will just turn it over to the park. They park has gotten rule crazy and lots of folks are leaving, with about 1/3 of the park mobile homes for sale. I ended up showing her place to a neighbor again tonight as Mom is up in Payson. I told them to talk to her when she gets back on Friday for what kind of deal she will make.

I want to list my mobile on Sunday, but I still have so much stuff sitting around. I should be tending to that instead of running all over hell’s half acre looking for an RV. I tend to freak out at 2am when I wake up. I have finally told myself that I make no decisions while it is dark outside. I get too overwhelmed and don’t think straight during that time. Not sure I think all that straight during the day, either.

Friday, April 15, 2016

I am in a Candlewood Suites in Nogales, AZ. This was scheduled back when I was working, and before the moving all got into full swing. I have a bunch of reward points with IHG, and they now expire. I had to do something to activate the account before May 1. This hotel was on super sale points, so I came down here for a couple of nights to reset the time clock on the rewards program. I had few expectations. However, so far I am impressed. It is much prettier down here than I expected, not the dry brown desert I'm used to. There are a few places I'll go explore tomorrow.

With much help from Favorite Neighbor's Son and DIL and another neighbor in the park we got Mom's furniture that she is keeping into the storage unit. It is even stacked up enough that there should be room for most, if not all, of my stuff in the other half. They worked their backsides off. I felt basically useless as my back won't let me pick up much. I am so happy to have that done. God bless them, is all I can say. We will go out to the Organ Stop for pizza and organ music on Sunday night as a token of our appreciation, and a goodbye for now, as they will all leave for MN on Monday morning.

The selling of furniture to Mesa Auction was a bust. They gave Mom a token amount for her washer and dryer, and she basically had them just take the rest of what she didn't want. I was offered $100 for my stuff, which included the antiques. I declined. My IKEA chair and nice baker's rack was worth that much. Even going pennies on the dollar. So, I still have furniture to get rid of.

Mom is headed up to Payson for the weekend. Someone emailed and wants to see her mobile on Sunday afternoon. Also, a neighbor who is temporarily living in a 5th wheel next to her is interested in buying her place, so it looks as if she will get something for her place. Not near what she has into it, but something.

Off so my room to check out the tourist info for the places around here. I'm in the business center of the hotel now. I didn't even bring a computer other than my smartphone.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

This morning my alarm went off at 7am, as I have decided I need to get going even in retirement, so as not to get lazy. I was laying there thinking I should get up. I heard my sliding glass door open and a voice, this time Norma, saying ‘come quick, something has happened!’. I said ‘on my way, your place or Mom’s?’. ‘Ours’ and away she went. I threw on jeans and a sweatshirt and ran over.

Mr. Drama Croft couldn’t just unhook and leave. He had to spice the departure up. As he unhooked the water line the entire top of the water pipe came off, drenching him and the entire area. When I got there he was on his knees with a rag over the end of the pipe, attempting unsuccessfully to stop the strong flow of water. Did I mention we have great water pressure here?

I ran to the park handyman’s mobile and pounded on his door, no answer. I had put my phone in my pocket so I called the office number. The office wasn’t open yet, but the manager answered and I told her the problem. She said she call out the park handymen.

I went back over and unfortunately didn’t remember my phone camera to record as Norma got some cement blocks to take the place of Croft putting pressure on the pipe. He was tired of kneeling in the gravel at that point. At some point I put the electric cord, which was still plugged in, up out of the water.

Once the guys got there the water was turned off for a bit and they put a new head on the pipe. Other than Croft being damp, all was well.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Mom hasn’t been able to talk to the auction house guy who is supposed to give us a price on our unwanted (by us) furniture and stuff. The auction house itself did call this morning. Everything else is at a bit of a stand-stil until we clear the space.

Favorite Neighbor’s son and daughter-in-law arrived yesterday. Last night wine was consumed by DIL and I shared with Croft and Norma on their patio. I am feeling it today. No more wine. Again. Until DIL talks me into it again.

FN’s son is going over to the storage unit in a bit to asses the space issue and how best to move Mom’s furniture she is keeping into said unit. I am out of plans, so I am abdicating to his judgement. They bought me dinner last night, and of course I already mentioned the wine we had with Croft and Norma. I will enjoy this week while they are here prior to driving FN back north.

This is the fun before everyone (almost) is gone. Sandie and Jim are around for a bit yet, but the clock is running down. And I still have no concrete plans.

Friday, April 08, 2016

It was cloudy and not as hot yesterday. During the night I heard rain for awhile. Haven’t heard that in several weeks.

Mom continues to pack and move. She drove up to Payson by herself, spent the night in her new abode, and drove home again the next day. Everything went well. She is now putting more stuff in the storage unit and starting to pack the car for another load up to Payson. Next week we will get the furniture moved into the storage unit she is keeping, and then start the serious clearout of the mobile.

She has someone calling on Monday to maybe buy the furniture she doesn’t want to keep. I’ll have him look at some of mine as well, including the stuff I inherited. I have a 1906 windup Victrola that was my Dad’s. I can’t keep hauling it around and putting it in storage. No one wants antiques anymore I’m told, so I won’t get much money for it. Also have a really nice Hoosier cabinet that was built in the Showers factory in Bloomington, IN. My first house was just up the hill from there, and I bought the cabinet from the estate sale for the woman that owned the house prior. Again, probably won’t get much.

I listed Mom’s mobile home on Craigslist. First time listing anything there. Nothing. Lowered the price. Still nothing. I’ll lower it again today. She will probably have to just walk away from the money she spent on it, fixing it up to be the nice mobile home it is now. I will probably be the same in a few months, but I came in knowing that. I feel badly for her on this, but she is moving on.

I feel like I’m spinning my wheels a lot. I get overwhelmed as I try to decide what to do next, and just focus on the small steps needed in day to day life. I’ve looked at several RV’s with Jim and Sandie Dixon helping, and Croft going with me yesterday. Nothing that I can live in at my price point. I’ll start looking at dealerships where I’ll have more wiggle room on getting the money. I hate to pull the money out of the 401k until I find what I want, but individual sellers want the money on the barrelhead now.